This application makes reference to, incorporates the same herein, and claims all benefits accruing under 35 U.S.C. xc2xa7xc2xa7119 and 120 from an application for COMPUTER TELEPHONY INTEGRATED MODULE SYSTEM earlier filed in the Korean Industrial Property Office on the 23rd day of December 1995 and there duly assigned Serial No. 55739/1995.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to integration of telephone control, and more particularly, to an computer telephony integrated module system for controlling a telephone and peripheral devices through a computer.
2. Description of the Related Art
A digital telephone, a modem (or a facsimile machine), and a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as a PC) are connected to a digital simple exchange system, and therefore their functions can be independently performed. When a modem (or facsimile machine) and the personal computer are connected to a digital extension, the modem and the personal computer are connected through an additional interface module.
Accordingly, as described above, the digital telephone, the modem (or facsimile machine), and the personal computer are respectively connected to the digital simple exchange system. Therefore, if the user wants to use the modem (or facsimile machine) while the digital telephone is in on-line state, it is troublesome that the user should set it by using an additional modem port.
The patents to Izumi, Kim, D""Arcy et al., and Sakurai et al., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,467,395, 5,459,788, 5,305,377, and 5,481,605, respectively entitled Telephone Exchange Apparatus, Apparatus For Interfacing Analog Telephone In ISDN Terminal Adapter, Apparatus For Providing An ISDN to Analog Interface, and Private Branch Exchange Capable Of Analyzing Information Received From ISDN, each disclose an interface system for interfacing and ISDN line with three or more analog and digital elements. However, these references fail to teach or suggest the specifically recited features of the present invention.
The following additional patents also disclose features in common with the present invention, but are not believed to be as pertinent as the referenced noted above: U.S. Pat. No. 4,961,185 to Sawada, entitled Method For Controlling A Terminal Equipment Coupled To An Integrated Services Digital Network And A Terminal Equipment Based On The Same, U.S. Pat. No. 5,450,486 to Maas et al., entitled Telecommunication System And A Linecard, U.S. Pat. No. 5,341,418 to Yoshida, entitled ISDN Terminal Adapter For Access From Analog Signal Equipment Of Four Wire Full Duplex Type To ISDN, U.S. Pat. No. 5,283,827 to Conforti et al., entitled Digital Line Card For Interfacing A Remotely Located Digital Telephone To A Central Office System, U.S. Pat. No. 5,278,665 to Sawada et al., entitled Facsimile Machine Using ISDN Basic interface, U.S. Pat. No. 5,222,130 to Pflueger et al., entitled Message Arrangement And Method For Implementing A Digital Telephone System, U.S. Pat. No. 5,133,006 to Khuat entitled Combination Interface Circuit For Coupling A Digital Loop Carrier Telephone System, U.S. Pat. No. 4,961,185 to Sawada, entitled Method For Controlling A Terminal Equipment Coupled To An Integrated Services Digital Network And A Terminal Equipment Based On The Same, U.S. Pat. No. 5,305,312 to Fornek et al., entitled Apparatus For Interfacing Analog Telephones And Digital Data Terminals To An ISDN Line, U.S. Pat. No. 5,204,860 to Sparks, entitled Network Terminating Terminal Apparatus For Integrated Services Digital Network, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,276,687 to Miyamoto, entitled Network System Having Different Attributes Of Terminal Equipment Devices.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a computer telephony integrated module system that substantially obviates one or more of the problems due to the limitations and disadvantages of the related art.
An object of the present invention is to provide a computer telephony integrated module system which connects peripheral devices to one another without using an additional modem port.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a computer telephony integrated module system in which a digital telephone, a modem (or facsimile machine), and a personal computer are connected to one module, thereby effectively controlling a phone call by using the PC.
In order to achieve these objects and others, the present invention can be achieved with a computer telephony integrated module system constructed with, at least, a central processing unit receiving both audio channel signals generated from a digital simple exchange system and data channel signals and outputting respective control signals for controlling three elements (i.e., a computer, a telephone, and a peripheral device), with a first controller for receiving the audio channel signals and the data channel signals, dividing them into two audio channel signals (i.e., the first audio channel signal and the second audio channel signal), and providing the data channel signals to the central processing unit; a second controller for connecting the first audio channel signal to the digital telephone in response to one of the control signals; a third controller for converting the second audio channel signal into an analog signal and connecting the analog signal to a general telephone in response to another of the control signals; and a computer interface for receiving still another of the control signals comprising a first data channel signal for controlling the computer and for connecting the first data channel signal to the computer.